A hard disk drive typically includes a housing that forms an internal environment. Sealing and filling the internal environment with gases other than air can enhance performance of the hard disk drive. For example, low-density inert gases such as helium can reduce the aerodynamic drag between magnetic recording media and associated read/write heads compared to operating in air. This reduced aerodynamic drag results in reduced power usage for the spindle motor. A helium-filled hard disk drive thus uses less power than a comparable hard disk drive that operates in an air environment.